Lorry driver commended for swift action in avoiding head-on crash on Laois road
Portlaoise Courthouse
GARDAÍ commended a beer delivery lorry driver for his swift action in avoiding a head-on crash and in doing so possibly saving the lives of three people.
The praise was issued at last week’s sitting of Portlaoise District Court when a Limerick businessman was summonsed before it for dangerous driving, failing to stop at the scene of an accident, failing to remain at the scene of an accident and to failing to report an accident at Oughaval, Stradbally on 16 April.
Garda Roy Cooper said that he received a report on 17 April from a third party about an incident that took place between a car and a beer delivery lorry at Oughaval (Windy Gap) in Stradbally the previous day.
He said a car was coming from the Carlow direction and met a delivery lorry coming from the Stradbally direction. He said the car veered across the road into the path of the lorry, forcing it into a ditch, before the car righted itself damaging its wing mirror and driving off.
He said the lorry driver remained at the scene for a short while and the car driver didn’t return while he was there.
Arising from the incident, the defendant, Alan Andrews (50) from 26 Halcyon Place, Castletroy, Limerick appeared in court, where his solicitor told Judge Andrew Cody that the facts in the case were admitted.
Garda Cooper said the report of the accident was notified to him by a driver of a Tesla car who had been driving behind the offending car at the time of the incident and that the Tesla driver had captured the incident on his car’s camera.
The footage from the car’s camera was shown in court and showed Mr Andrews’ car veer across the road directly at the lorry, with its driver taking evasive action and driving into a ditch to avoid a head-on crash.
Garda Cooper said: “Only for the lorry driver being so aware, this might have been a more serious incident.” The defendant’s solicitor said his client made a voluntary statement that he and the Tesla driver had pulled in where it was safe to do so and that he went back to the scene of the incident but that the lorry had left.
He said that Mr Andrews had one previous conviction and that was for speeding in 2013 and asked Judge Andrew Cody to consider reducing the charge to careless driving.
“It was a momentary lapse in concentration, an oversight, an error. He realises it could have had catastrophic consequences,” said the solicitor, who added that his client is a businessman who employs people and was coming from a presentation on the day.
Garda Cooper said: “We never really got to the root of what caused it (the car to veer into the path of the lorry).” Garda sgt JJ Kirby said: “We (gardaí) commend the person for reporting the incident and the lorry driver. He, possibly, saved at least two people’s lives with his quick thinking on the day.” Deciding on the evidence, Judge Andrew Cody accepted that Mr Andrews did return to the scene. Taking into consideration the other circumstances surrounding the incident, including the Telsa camera evidence, he said he was considering reducing the charge to careless driving but would finalise the case on 26 March.
